


The Desert's Bloom

by Badass_Gemini



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:56:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29662791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badass_Gemini/pseuds/Badass_Gemini
Summary: Decided to remaster an old fanfic of mine so!Sasori had heard plenty of stories on why he went down the path he had chosen. Power, immortality, greed, and a number of other reasons. But none were ever quite on the mark. Some were close to the truth but lacked a very vital piece of information. Sasori hadn't chosen this path for just himself. He had someone else in mind when he began his work with human puppets, someone very dear to him who had sparked his interest in this damned path he's found himself on. And his journey was far from over.The Puppet Master still needed to find his missing masterpiece.
Relationships: Sasori (Naruto)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Never thought I'd be back in my Naruto phase but here I am. Reviving an old fanfic of mine and remastering it so it's better quality and more interesting. Someone's gotta give our man's Sasori here some more character depth so here I am. Doing just that in the only way I know how. By writing an OC/Canon Character story lmao Also! This fanfic starts off about a year before Shippuden begins so keep that in mind!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it!

The sounds of his leader’s voice seemed distant, the Puppet Master hardly paying much attention to the current meeting as Pain rambled on about which teams were being sent out on missions and which teams were to be waiting on standby for now. From what he had tuned into it seemed he and Deidara were on standby. Fantastic, more waiting. Something he loathed doing no matter what the circumstance was. Sasori wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of just waiting around for their next mission, and knowing how irritating his partner could get when left to his own devices for too long he knew he had to come up with something to occupy them both once this meeting came to an end.

Though he didn’t like the idea of not having a mission to complete, this extra time gave Sasori some much needed freedom. Despite the fact he did not want to bring Deidara along on his little ‘outings’, the younger blonde was somewhat easy to convince that his little explorations were simply to look for more puppet worthy subjects. It’s been far too long since he’s had any kind of real time to himself after all, so maybe this instance of ‘waiting’ wasn’t all that terrible to endure. Sasori tunes back into Pain’s speech for a moment only to hear him conclude the meeting before his projection vanishes. Sasori watches with a bored expression from inside Hiruko as each Akatsuki member’s projection disappears one by one until it’s only he and Deidara left inside the dark cave. A yawn sounds from his partner, drawing Sasori’s attention to the tired looking blonde beside him.

“Man, you’d think our meetings wouldn’t drag on for so long when they’re practically about nothing, hm.” Deidara stretches out his legs, dispelling the stiffness that’s set in from standing in one place for so long. It wasn’t hard to see how much the youngest member disliked the way these meetings were conducted. Especially when they were the only two who were physically present.

“It’s a necessary process. Information needs to be shared and missions need to be given when available. Now hurry up, we have places to be.” Hiruko’s raspy voice chimes out as Sasori directs his body to start heading for the exit, barely giving his partner any time to collect himself.

“Huh? We don’t even have a mission, hm! Where the hell do we have to be all of a sudden?” The blonde practically whines as he hurries to keep up with the Puppet Master. Deidara has an idea on what his partner was going to have them do with their free time but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “You’re gonna go ‘material hunting’ again, aren’t you, hm? Can’t we just relax for once? Why is it every time we don’t have a mission you have to go hunt down some poor sap to turn into another one of your creepy puppets, hm?”

Sasori felt his eye twitch slightly at his partner’s comment, but he wasn’t in the mood to really start this old argument with him today. “If you knew what I was going to do then don’t bother complaining. You’re not going to change my mind. After all, you know how much I hate wasting time.” That seemed to be the end of their little spat, as Deidara only gave him an annoyed huff in response. It seemed his partner wasn’t in the mood to cause a fuss today. Good, it gave him less reason to keep up any kind of argument with the younger boy.

As the pair left the hidden meeting spot, Sasori made his way towards seemingly nowhere. Of course, it was only his partner who had little clue on where they were going. For the Puppet Master, he knew exactly where he was headed and how long it was going to take them to get there. If his past experience was anything to go by it would be about another two weeks before Pain called them all for another meeting, giving the Artist Duo plenty of time to get to the small village that Sasori had marked on his map and then some. He only needed to find one item. A single scroll that has eluded him for far too long now. As much as he wanted to find it quickly, Sasori knew there was little chance that anyone besides himself could ever unseal his missing scroll. Its contents were far too important to just leave unsealed. The mere thought of someone other than himself opening that scroll and laying a single finger on the masterpiece that lay inside was enough to make his blood boil. Metaphorically speaking of course.

Sasori took another look at his travel map, wooden finger tracing along the path they would have to take to get where he needed to go. If the weather proved stable then they should be able to make it to their destination within the next few days, but should they run into a storm it would set them back from anywhere between an entire day to a mere few hours. Not as bad as the last expedition he’d taken before. It didn’t help that he turned up empty handed and without new puppet material. If it weren’t for the fact Deidara got to blow up the insignificant town after they had left he was sure the blonde would still be complaining about it right now. Nevertheless, Sasori hoped that at the very least he could find even a single lead as to where his missing scroll was.

The only Akatsuki member to know about his intentions was Konan. She had defeated him in battle years before and he had come clean to her about his search, this was their agreement. Sasori would be loyal to their cause and in turn, when he and his partner had no mission to complete, he was allowed to go out and search for his missing piece without interference. It was a simple enough arrangement, but he was certain that Konan was under the impression that he would stay even after he found what he was looking for. For now, he had no reason to correct that assumption as his masterpiece was still missing. Though once he had what he wanted, this life will be left behind. No matter the repercussion. The Puppet Master held no loyalty to this organization, he simply knew there was no escaping Konan back then. She had him cornered and this was the only option he had at the time. Once he found what he was missing, the Akatsuki would simply become a part of his past just as his life in the Sand Village had.

“ _ Hey Danna! _ ”

Sasori felt Hiruko shake slightly as Deidara’s voice rang out. At first he thought the other had kicked him out of frustration, but then he felt his puppet begin to fall.

“Shit!” Sasori cursed under his breath as he quickly tried to fix his mistake. Controlling Hiruko to grab onto the nearest tree branch with his tail, he successfully prevented himself from falling off a rather steep incline. Just how deep in thought was he just now? With a small sigh, Sasori pulled himself back up to safety before giving Deidara an annoyed stare. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I  _ did _ , hm!” The blonde gave his partner an equally annoyed glare. “I kept calling you over and over but you just kept walking forward, hm! Are you going deaf or something in there? You’re never this spaced out, hm.” Deidara crossed his arms, clearly angry that Sasori was even blaming him for something that wasn’t even his fault. Was Sasori in a bad mood or something?

“It’s none of your business, brat. I was just focused on my map.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but still, Deidara had a point. He was never so caught up in his own thoughts that he’d miss an entire cliff right in front of him. He had to focus, had to keep his head clear. This wasn’t the time to be getting lost in the past. Sasori could reminisce during the night when his partner slept and he kept watch, not during the day when he had to focus on the path ahead of them. After all, he was the only one who knew where they were going. Deidara certainly had no clue on where to go unless Sasori gave him the map, and that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

“If you say so, hm.” Deidara’s voice sounded skeptical, like he wasn’t trusting Sasori’s own words, and the Puppet Master didn’t really blame him. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t had much free time like this recently. The pair had been extra busy the past few months, going on both joint missions with other members and solo missions that ate up practically all of their time. Sasori was getting antsy. It’s been years now, he just wanted to find his missing masterpiece already.

She’s been waiting long enough.


	2. Chapter 2

The journey out to the village Sasori had marked down was less than eventful. They had gotten lucky with the weather, not needing to bunker down for any amount of time and by sheer luck the pair hadn’t run into any kind of obstacles along the way. The Puppet Master knew this place was pretty isolated but he didn’t think it was going to be  _ this  _ barren of shinobi. He supposed that was good, all things considered, but that also had his hopes of finding his lost scroll dwindling. If people rarely came out this way then the odds of what he was looking for being out here were harshly reduced. Even still, there was no turning back now. He had dragged Deidara all the way out here for a reason and Sasori wasn’t about to waste both their time by not following through with his search.

Judging by his map, Sasori guessed they were only about another day’s walk from the village. If they kept this pace up they could probably make it there by sunrise tomorrow, that is if his partner didn’t need to sleep. Sasori gives it some thought as he looks over at his partner from inside Hiruko. The explosives expert looked annoyed, though that could easily be attributed to the fact Sasori had woken him up rather early. His partner didn’t really like walking around when he could easily create something out of clay that could fly them both somewhere, but Sasori was always against it. Mostly because the Puppet Master hated the idea of flying while settled inside Hiruko.

_ Come on Sasori, live a little! _

Those words rang out in his head, causing the red head to stop in his tracks. He shook his head, trying to dispel the idea that was forming, but to no avail.

“Danna? Why’d you stop, hm?” Deidara’s voice pulled him back from his thoughts, and Sasori gave a small sigh from inside Hiruko. He was going to regret this idea.

“Make one of you clay birds, we can fly the rest of the way.”

“Huh? But I thought you hated flying, hm? Why-”

Sasori didn’t let his partner finish talking before he suddenly sealed Hiruko away, standing before the teen with an annoyed look on his face. “I do hate flying, but unless you want to sleep out in the open again tonight with a high risk of rain suddenly pouring down on you in the middle of the night then I suggest you just fly us the rest of the way to the town.” The shut up any retort his partner seemed to have. Though it didn’t stop him from looking a bit shocked at the fact Sasori had actually sealed away Hiruko for once. It was incredibly rare for the Puppet Master to show his true face, even around his own so-called teammates. Despite all that, he just couldn’t handle the idea of flying while still hidden inside Hiruko. Especially not with Deidara’s flying skills.

Now, the younger boy wasn’t a terrible flier, as a matter of fact Sasori would go so far as to say the blonde was practically an expert at maneuvering his creations through even the tightest spaces. The issue was that Deidara was reckless with his flying. If he had a passenger the blonde took no regard for how said passenger would be able to handle his erratic flying patterns. Sasori learned that detail the hard way. The very first time he’d ever agreed to letting Deidara fly them both somewhere the blonde nearly caused him to fall off the dragon-like creation several times. Not to mention they were hundreds if not thousands of feet above the ground. Had Sasori actually fallen off he was sure both his body and Hiruko’s body would have been shattered into pieces. Deidara could skillfully navigate through the densest woods, but he had no regard for his potential passengers. Hopefully this time Sasori won’t need to dig his fingers into the clay just keep himself from falling off.

The red head gave his partner a stern look, waving his hand impatiently. “Well? Are you just going to stand there or are you actually going to do what I said?”

Deidara snapped out of his daze, still shocked over the fact that Sasori had actually come out of hiding for this. “Right, hm!” He couldn’t help but smile slightly. Flying was one of his favorite things to do with his creations, but with Sasori’s complete aversion to the idea he rarely got the chance to do so unless they were in battle. Deidara made quick work out of creating a large bird-like creature for them to fly on, his excitement a little too clear in his body language.

“Don’t get all excited, brat. The only reason I’m doing this is because I don’t want to hear you complain if we get caught in a rainstorm.” Sasori’s voice was stern as he climbed onto Deidara’s clay creation. It was more than big enough for the both of them, but that didn’t mean Sasori felt comfortable.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Danna. Just tell me where to go, hm.”

Right, Sasori hadn’t actually given him any kind of direction just yet. The Puppet Master pulls out his map again, pinpointing where they were before pointing east. “The town shouldn’t be more than a few hours east of our current position. So long as you-”

“A few hours? Come on, Danna. You should know how I fly by now, hm!”

“Wait, Deidara don’t-!” Before he could stop his partner, Deidara had them soaring up into the air and jetting towards their destination. Sasori nearly lost his balance on the take off alone and with the harsh winds now pushing against his body he had no choice but to kneel down and grab hold of the clay beast. Why did he think this would be any different from the first time he let his partner fly them somewhere? “You idiot! I almost fell off!”

Deidara’s laugh was nearly drowned out by the winds. “Come on, Danna! You knew what you were getting into when you asked me to fly, hm! Just hang on and we’ll be back on the ground in no time!” The blonde smiled back at his partner before focusing back on the open sky before them. Deidara was going to have his fun while he could, even if it made Sasori a little cross with him later on.

While Deidara looked like he was having the time of his life, Sasori was left to cling to his partner’s creation as if his life depended on it. The heavy winds blowing his hair all over the place, the movement of the clay creature’s wings making it impossible to sit still, and Deidara’s cocky attitude about the whole situation just made Sasori’s regret even larger. If he still had a stomach Sasori was sure he’d be nauseous right about now. Honestly, it’s feelings like this that make him believe Sand Ninja in general just weren’t meant to fly.

_ Don’t be so closed minded, Sasori! You never know what kind of amazing things could be out there! _

Once again, her voice rang clear through his mind. Little things she’d said to him in the past that still managed to come to the surface even now. With a short huff of breath, Sasori opened his eyes.  _ When had he closed them? _ Taking in the sight before him, he took notice of the dark grey clouds rolling in from the west. His assumption about rain that night was correct. If they hadn’t taken off now there was no doubt in his mind that the two would have gotten stuck in a downpour.


	3. Chapter 3

Sasori's luck today just wasn't on his side. Not only did he regret letting Deidara fly them the rest of the way to the village, the blonde flying as reckless as ever, they still got caught in a sudden rainstorm. Even with the speed at which Deidara had them soaring through the air, the pair still ended up getting soaked by the heavy rainfall. Sasori wasn't too thrilled about having to dump water out of his body parts but his partner was even more upset thanks to the temperature drop that came with the rain. Lucky for him, the Puppet Master couldn't feel the cold as quickly as Deidara could. While the blonde was still entirely human, Sasori could only "feel" things like the weather with his core. It was both a blessing and a curse because while he won't freeze or overheat to death, it still ate up chakra to keep his core warm or cool enough to function. If he let his core get too hot or too cold, he'll enter a hibernation-like state and be left completely vulnerable and like hell he's willing to let that happen any time soon.

The pair finally landed outside the small town and despite wanting to scout the place out first, the two seemed to have the same idea and simply made a mad dash to the nearest Inn they could spot. Rushing into the building, and effectively scaring the poor woman who sat at the front desk, the artist duo were left dripping wet, with Deidara panting for air and Sasori looking like he was contemplating every single life decision he's ever made.

The Puppet Master calmly walked up to the front desk, giving the woman a small bow of his head. "I apologize if we startled you, but the rain caught us by surprise. Do you have any rooms available for us to stay in until the storm blows over?" The woman gave him a slow blink, still a bit in shock it seemed. After an awkwardly long moment of silence, she seemed to finally snap out of her stupor.

"Oh! R-Right, um, allow me to check my records first!" The poor woman scrambled to pull out a stack of paperwork, frantically looking through each piece so she could give them an answer. After muttering a few colorful words under her breath a smile forms on her face. "Ah! Here we go! We have several rooms still available actually, it seems like this rain caused a few guests to cancel. Did you need one room or two?"

"Just one." Sasori was quick to hand over the payment for the room and take the key before all but dragging his partner up the steps. His body felt way too heavy, the water trapped inside his limbs making sloshing noises as he walked. His soaked cloak wasn't helping either. It was irritating. So much so that as soon as they were both inside the room with the door shut, Sasori damn near ripped the black and red piece off his wooden body and threw it in some random direction. He heard the soaked piece of fabric hit the floor with a wet smack and sighed. "I can't stand the rain."

"You and me both, hm." Deidara chimed in, following Sasori's lead and stripping off his own soaking wet cloak. At least they were in a warm, dry room now, but the younger boy knew that they were going to get an earful from Kakuzu later once the money hungry member of the Akatsuki learned of their spending. "So much for avoiding the storm, hm." He mumbles, more to himself than to his partner, as he grabs his ponytail and twists the water out. What a total mess.

Sasori only gives the blonde a small grunt in response, sitting in the nearest chair so he can start to empty out his body of water. The process was more of a chore than anything else. Detaching each limb, watching as all the rainwater poured out of the openings, then reattaching them back to his body. It was all such a hassle, and all because he miscalculated how far away the storm was from them. Maybe if he'd let Deidara fly just a little faster they would have gotten here faster, but what's done is done. No turning back the clock, not in this instance at least. Finally getting the last of the water out of his body, Sasori leaned back against the chair with a sigh just as a loud crack of thunder sounded outside. This storm definitely wasn't going to a short one.

Deidara sat on the floor of the room, rummaging through all his clay bags to make sure none of it had gotten ruined by the water. It wasn't like it was hard for him to get more, but if his current supply got ruined well, it would take a hell of a lot longer to replenish his stock without his usual means of transport. That and he was sure that Sasori would bitch him out for 'being unprepared' despite the both of them being caught off guard by the rain.

As he let Sasori 'rest' quietly, Deidara continued to mindlessly go through his clay bags, absently rolling a small ball of the white clay in one hand. He was almost finished checking everything, his eyes wandering over to where he and Sasori tossed their soaked cloaks, thinking about how long it was going to take for them to dry at this rate. He wondered for a moment, before something catches his eyes. Something small, but with a bright color that contrasted so jarringly with the dark wood floor it was impossible not to see it. Deidara reached over and picked up the small photo. At first he thought it was something left by a previous tenant or even the innkeeper herself, but one good look at the photo had Deidara's eyes widening in shock.

The photo was old, so much so that it was kept in some sort of plastic covering to prevent further deterioration. A good thing too, considering it was coated in water. But what really caught him off guard was who was in said picture. Deidara saw his partner, in classic Sand Shinobi attire, standing next to a girl in a long red dress. What's even more strange to the bomber is that Sasori was  _ smiling _ . The Puppeteer was truely and genuinely  _ smiling _ . They pair were standing in front of some kind of building and the girl next to Sasori looked so excited. She had long red hair, probably longer than his own hair if he thought about it, and emerald green eyes that seemed to shine even though he was just looking at a picture.

"Hey, Danna?" He heard his partner give a small grunt in response, clearly not in the mood to talk, but Deidara just had to know. "Do you have a sister or something?" No sooner had the words left his mouth Deidara felt a horrific sense of dread spread down his spine. The younger artist was hesitant to turn around, slowly turning his head only to be met with his partner giving him the deadliest glare he's ever seen. "I'm sor-"

" _ Where did you find that _ ?" Sasori's voice was low, the Puppet Master practically growling out his words.

"I-It was on the floor, hm! Next to your cloak! I swear!" Deidara has never seen Sasori so angry before. Come to think of it, he's never really seen Sasori truely angry,  _ period _ . It was always just mild annoyance or agitation when they argued over things. But this? This was something else. This was the type of anger you'd see in… well in anyone that wasn't his usually stoic partner! Deidara swallowed heavily as he watched Sasori stand from his seat. When the other started walking over to him, he was sure that this would be the end. Sasori was actually going to kill him. Only, his death never came.

Instead, Sasori snatched the photo from his hand and gave him another hard glare. "Don't fucking touch what doesn't belong to you, brat." And that was it. There was no yelling, no threats to his life, not even a threat of being turned into a puppet. Sasori just took the picture and went back to his seat. Deidara was left stunned on the floor of their shared room, fear still coursing through his veins as he watched Sasori's face carefully. The other was clearly still angry, but there was something else in his eyes. Something Deidara has never seen before. Was that… sadness?

"Da-"

"I don't have a sister." His student response caused Deidara to jump slightly.

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, brat. I don't have a sister. I'm an only child." Sasori kept his eyes focused on the photo. If he still had a heart he was sure it would be aching right now, seeing her smiling face again. Even if it was an old photo.

"I mean… you two do have similar hair colors. It's not every day you see people with red hair, hm." The bomber relaxed slightly, no longer feeling like his life was in immediate danger.

"Just because we both have red hair doesn't mean we're related. It was just pure coincidence."

There was a pause. Silence stretching on for what seemed like ages. Was he not going to elaborate? Is that all Deidara is going to get out of him? The blonde decided to take a chance and press just a bit more.

"Who was she then, hm?" Once again there was just silence. Sasori seemed intent on ignoring his question now. At least, that's what it seemed like to Deidara. The two stayed locked in a tense silence, neither wanting to give in to the other's stubbornness. He knew it wasn't his place, but Deidara was young and curious. Seeing his usually stoic and serious partner look so happy and carefree, it would make any of the other Akatsuki members curious. Though, it seemed like he wasn't going to be getting the answers he wanted tonight. Just as he was about to give in, Sasori spoke.

"Her name is Mayumi. She was…  _ is _ , someone very important to me."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Sasori character development ahead! Hope you enjoy my take on him!

The next day, the weather was just as terrible, if not worse. The rain pounded against the window as winds whipped through the trees. Thunder roared and lightning cracked across the sky, leaving Sasori and Deidara stuck inside the Inn for the day. It was a real waste, but Sasori wasn't exactly keen on going out and getting water logged again. Though, maybe it would be worth it to escape this awkward atmosphere they've created.

Yesterday's incident was still making him seeth, though not for the reasons one might think. How could he have been so careless? To leave such an important picture in his cloak and forget it was even there. He must have been distracted when he last looked at it and simply forgot to put it back in his scroll pack. The Puppet Master looks over at his partner, Deidara simply laying on the bed staring at the ceiling while absently toying with a small ball of clay. He looked bored out of his mind, and Sasori didn't blame him. The rain really put a hold on his search and it's not like Deidara had any plans other than tagging along with Sasori.

Even still, he knew the other was going to start asking questions sooner or later, but Sasori wasn't ready to start giving any answers. There were too many 'what if' factors that Sasori just didn't want to happen. Deidara had a big mouth sometimes. Being just a few months shy of turning nineteen, if he remembers correctly, it meant that the youngest member of the Akatsuki had a tendency to overshare without even realizing it. Especially if he's bragging about his 'art'. Ask the right kind of questions while he's on his high horse and he'd spill anything to another Akatsuki member, and lord knows Sasori doesn't want any of the others to know about Mayumi. Konan knowing was more than enough for him.

"Danna?" The bomber finally spoke up, eyes still staring up at the ceiling.

Sasori sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"But why not, hm?" Deidara sat up on the bed, finally looking at his partner in confusion. "You have no problem bragging about all your kills, all the puppets you've made, the reputation you made for yourself, so why is this-"

"Because all of that stuff is common knowledge if you know where to look and who to ask. This… this more personal. And I'm not in the mood to talk about it. Besides, it's none of your business anyway." Sasori started to sound irritated again. Deidara's questions were already picking at his nerves.

"You said she's someone important to you, so why isn't she here, hm? What, did you just abandon her back in the Sand village so you could go on with your creepy human puppet experiments?"

That was it. That one accusation is what finally made the Puppet Master snap. "Will you shut up!" Sasori watched as Deidara shrank back, clearly surprised that he'd actually yelled at him for once. "Despite what you may  _ think _ , Deidara, you don't know a damn thing about me! All you know is what I've allowed you to know and that's it!" A loud crack of thunder sounded from outside, as if nature itself was mirroring Sasori's emotions. "I'm not as emotionless as you think, Deidara! Being a puppet didn't change the fact that I still have feelings, and right now I'm  _ feeling _ pretty pissed that you'd have the fucking gall to insinuate that I abandoned her!" He stopped, running a hand through his hair and leaning back against the chair he sat in. This wasn't helping. None of this was helping. But Sasori just couldn't leave it at that. "I never abandoned her… I couldn't."

Deidara sat on the bed in a state of shock. That's twice now that Sasori's stoic personality cracked, and in less than a day. This 'Mayumi' girl must be a really sore topic for his partner if he's getting this worked up over Deidara seeing a picture and asking a few questions. But the bigger question is  _ why _ was this such a sore subject? If Sasori didn't abandon her then what could have happened between the two that's causing his partner to have such a defensive reaction to Deidara finding out about her mere existence?

"Danna," he starts out slowly, trying not to make the Puppeteer any angrier, "I didn't mean to be rude, but what am I supposed to think? You're right when you say I don't know anything about you, so why don't you tell me, hm? We're supposed to be partners, right? We've been working together for two years now and, as much as I don't understand and find it kinda creepy, I really respect your art, hm." He watches Sasori closely. Trying to look out for any kind of body language that could tell him if he's about to be attacked or just ignored. So far, Sasori was eerily still. As if the Puppet Master was frozen in time. Guess that's what happens when you don't need to breath. There's no subtle movements, only intentional ones.

Sasori stayed quiet, really thinking this over. He wasn't ready for this. This was something just far too personal to share with some kid he's been planning on ditching the second he finds Mayumi. But, that's not what she would want. "You know, if she were here right now… she'd be so excited to get to know you."

"Huh?" Deidara looks at Sasori in confusion. "What do you mean, hm?"

"Mayumi was always loud and easily excitable, she'd be so interested in your art it's kind of funny to think about. I was always quiet, reclusive, barely liked interacting with people. But her? God, she was the complete opposite. She got along with everyone, loved being outside, and would do anything to put a smile on your face. She could've been with anyone in the Sand, but instead she chose to stay near me." Sasori pulled out the photo again. That smile of hers was contagious. "I really don't know what she saw in me."

"Danna…" Deidara took a chance and stood up from the bed, walking over slowly to stand beside Sasori. He looked down at the picture again, seeing just how happy the two looked. "What happened to her, hm?"

Sasori visibly flinched at the question, not wanting to think about the answer yet knowing this conversation will just keep coming up again until he gave it. He sighed heavily, placing the old photo onto the table before he accidentally ends up crushing it in his hand. "If I tell you… you have to swear to never repeat this to  _ anyone _ . Understand?" He looks to his partner who's now taken the chair across from him. The blonde gives him a firm nod and Sasori steels himself for what he's about to say. It's been a long time since these words left his mouth, and they never got easier to say.

"She died."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi my name is Nova and I damn near cry every time I write a chapter of this story bc my dumbass keeps listening to Mr. Loverman by Ricky Montgomery when I fucking write and IT MAKES ME EMOTIONAL.
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter!

Sasori watched Deidara's curiosity turn into shock, then into horrified realization. He held up a hand before the other could say anything. "Don't bother apologizing, what's done is done and… I think it's been too long since I last spoke about her. Might actually do me some good." Deidara nodded slowly, and for the first time since they met, Sasori gave him a small smile. "Mayumi and I grew up together, I met her through my grandmother's medical work. Being a poisons expert, she regularly needed ingredients delivered to our home. Mayumi was usually, if not always, the delivery person. Despite being a year younger than me she was more active in the village than I was."

Deidara sat in silence as he listened to Sasori tell his story. Hearing his partner speak so highly of someone else, it was strange. Even more so than seeing just how  _ happy _ the other was talking about her. The whole situation just seemed so surreal. When Sasori paused for a moment, Deidara took that as an opportunity to ask, "In that picture, she wasn't wearing any sort of regular shinobi gear. Was she just a normal citizen?"

Sasori shook his head. "No, she was training to be a medical ninja. Mayumi had a rare ability, at least rare for the Sand village, where she could grow any kind of plant from whatever soil was around. So long as she had chakra and some dirt, she was set. Of course, being young she had her limits. It's not like she could create a whole forest on a whim, she needed time and it took a lot of concentration on her part to make sure she grew the right thing. Mayumi had to study about every kind of medical herb you could think of." Sasori remembered the time he visited her one day at the hospital's greenhouse, calling out a simple greeting to her before he was suddenly surrounded by vines. The scolding they got from the other medical ninja still stuck in his mind to this day.

"So, what happened to her?" The question was mumbled out, Deidara being hesitant to know the answer but so very curious. "Was she…?" The blonde didn't want to finish his sentence. The idea of someone killing a young medical ninja wasn't exactly crazy to think of, but this was a girl his partner seemed to care deeply for. So to ask such a thing felt almost  _ wrong _ .

"No!" Sasori's answer was immediate. "God no. No one killed her. She never even set foot outside the village, let alone had anyone that wanted her dead. Though, I almost wish that was the case." The Puppet Master's voice seemed to die out a bit. His eyes cast downward as a hand ran through his hair. The storm outside raged on, another flash of lightning filling the room with mere seconds of bright light before it died out. The room once again only dimly lit by the cheap lights inside. "If someone had tried to kill her, that would've been so much easier to prevent. What happened instead was… so much worse."

"Worse than being killed? What could be worse than that, hm?"

"Having a sickness with no cure."

Deidara's mouth opened, only to close quickly as he started to put the pieces together. When he spoke again, his voice was so low it was almost drowned out by the pounding rain against the window. "You watched her die, didn't you?"

Sasori let out a dry laugh, hands balled up into tight fists as he looked off to the side. "I watched her go from this beautiful, energetic girl who could make anyone smile to a frail and sickly husk that couldn't even get out of her hospital bed without coughing up a lung. This photo… is the last photo of her before she fell ill. Before Mayumi started to rot away from the inside out." If Sasori could still cry he might have started right there. Thinking about what happened to Mayumi again, remembering those last few weeks with her in the Sand village, it was getting to be too much. "I… I don't wanna talk about this anymore." His voice was starting to waver, something that was so unlike him. He hasn't felt this vulnerable in years.

"I'm sorry, Danna. I didn't mean to…" Deidara isn't sure how to finish that sentence. He didn't mean to, what? Bring up this awful memory of his partner watching a girl he cared for die slowly? All because he happened to pick up an old photo? The blonde felt like he just intruded on something that was never supposed to be seen, yet Sasori was sitting here, telling him as much as he could without breaking down. That had to mean something, right? That Sasori trusted him at least a little bit to know this much? "I'm sorry, hm."

"I don't know why you're apologizing. It's my own fault for getting so worked up over this." If he had just played it off from the beginning, had maybe just gone along with Deidara's initial thought that she was his sister, he could've avoided all of this. Yet here he was, telling this kid about someone he wanted to keep secret from everyone in the Akatsuki. Maybe it was because he knew how excited Mayumi would be. How he knew her eyes would light up at the idea of watching one of Deidara's creations explode into a cloud of smoke and fire. She would've loved to ramble on with his partner about his art, and Sasori knew that. "Do you want to know the real reason I've been dragging you out on these 'material hunts'?"

Deidara's head tilts in confusion. "It's not for puppet material?"

Sasori shakes his head. "No. I'm… I'm looking for Mayumi's body."

"Wait, but you said-"

"Let me finish." Deidara was quick to shut his mouth. The red head continued. "Mayumi's last wish… was for me to turn her into a human puppet. She even went so far as to tell me I could use her as a weapon, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to her. I did make her into a puppet, but I made her into one in preparation to bring her back. That's why I did it to myself first." Sasori looked down at himself, eyes fixed on his exposed core. "I needed to make sure this would work out. But…" Sasori hesitated, reaching out for the photo and staring at it as he continued. "I ended up losing the scroll I sealed her body into."

"That's what you're looking for then? Her missing scroll? That's why you've been dragging me around on these weird little side missions all this time?"

The Puppet Master nods, carefully tucking away the photo into his pocket. "That's exactly why. I've been looking for her for damn near fifteen years now and I still can't find a trace of her. As confident as I am in my sealing ability, all it will take is one skilled shinobi who recognizes my work to unseal her scroll and potentially fuck up everything I did for her." He paused for a moment, trying to collect himself. He was getting worked up again. "I made sure she was perfect. She's my masterpiece and I can't bear the thought that some amateur could find her, get her unsealed, and use her against her will. Mayumi doesn't deserve that."

Deidara was quiet for a moment, taking in the state his partner was in right now. Sasori has never been so… open with him before. It was clear that there was more to this whole story, but with how emotional it seemed the other was getting maybe it was better they leave things where they are for today. "Danna, we don't have to talk about her anymore today. You've told me more than enough." He offered his fellow artist a reassuring smile, trying to show that he was more than happy with what he was told so far. "If she means this much to you, then count me in on this search and rescue, hm."

Sasori looked up in shock. Did he just hear that correctly? "You… wanna help me find her?"

"Yeah! She's your masterpiece, right? As one artist to another, it'd be a real shame if I didn't get to meet her, hm. And now all these extra missions make more sense! You just tell me what her scroll looks like and I'll program the details into my scope, hm." He sounded confident unlike just moments before. The idea of helping to find his partner's 'masterpiece' was one that never crossed his mind before, yet here they were. If it was this important for Sasori, for him to call Mayumi his masterpiece, then as an artist himself it was only fair that Deidara lend him a hand in trying to find her and get her back.

The Puppet Master stayed silent for a moment, trying to process what just happened. Deidara wanted to help him? He really wanted to help find her? After a long minute of silence, Sasori can't help but let a smile break across his face. "You know, you're not all that terrible, Deidara." Suddenly, Sasori's waning hope seemed reignited. With any luck, Mayumi won't have to wait much longer.

_ I'll find you soon, my missing masterpiece. I promise. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I know I just uploaded 4 chapters in 4 days but uhhhh, this is not my usual pace of writing I swear LMAO I've just been on a roll I guess.
> 
> Can't wait for writers block to suddenly kick my ass one day :D
> 
> But until then please enjoy these regular updates!

The storm finally subsided the following day. Warm rays of sunshine flowing through the window of the artist duo's room as Deidara slowly woke up from his dreamless sleep. The blonde stretched out with a yawn, feeling the stiffness in his limbs begin to melt away the more he moved around. Taking a glance around the room he noticed that Sasori wasn't there. Strange, the puppeteer didn't have a lot of reasons to go anywhere without him. After all, it's not like he got hungry or needed to use the bathroom. Speaking of which, "Man, I gotta get something to eat, hm." Deidara started getting dressed, throwing on his now dry cloak and making his way down to the lobby.

Sasori was already downstairs, idly chatting with the same woman at the front desk from when they first arrived. When the Puppet Master saw his partner finally coming down the stairs he thanked her and made his way over to Deidara. "Took you long enough to wake up. You know how much I hate waiting." In a rare display of playfulness, Sasori gave the other a small smile. For once not being all too serious about the matter. It clearly threw the other for a loop. "What's with that face? Surprised I actually have a sense of humor?"

"Kinda, yeah." Deidara laughed a bit, genuinely shocked at the sudden attitude shift in his partner. He'll have to appreciate this while it lasts. He was certain that once this little trip was over and they were back to doing their usual Akatsuki work, Sasori wouldn't be as nice. "What were you two talking about over there, hm?"

"Nothing much, just asking where some of the market areas are in this town. That's always the first place to start with." Now that he could be honest with Deidara, he didn't have to make up any kind of excuse or dodge his partner's simple questions. It was refreshing to say the least. "Remember, we're looking for a bright red scroll with a purple scorpion seal on it. It's my most noticeable signature." At least, it was more recognizable the closer they were to the Sand village. Being this far out it was highly unlikely that anyone knew what his signatures were. The name 'Sasori of the Red Sand' only reached so far before it became a mere rumor.

"I remember, hm. But uh, could we get something to eat first? I'm starving." The blonde gave an apologetic smile as he felt his stomach start to growl.

Sasori let himself laugh at that a bit. Of course he'd let the other eat before they started wandering around all day. Deidara was still human and he was young. The kid needed to eat, and despite his appearance Sasori knew just how much Deidara was able to wolf down. It was almost disturbing to say the least. The blonde ate enough for the both of them most times. "Might as well get you a proper meal. We're already gonna get bitched at by Kakuzu about our spending so far, can't exactly get any worse than that." They both laughed at that.

After Deidara had his fill, and took a few snacks for the go, the pair set off to the market area of town. Normally, they wouldn't speak too much with each other. It became the usual routine for these types of trips, Sasori would be in a 'bad mood' and Deidara would leave him be and just follow along silently with maybe a comment or two about their surroundings. Not this time though. This time they were holding a real conversation. No arguments or sarcastic comments, just a real and casual conversation about whatever they felt like. It was a little surreal to say the least. This whole time they've worked together the duo has done nothing but bicker and argue. Who would have thought that just being a little more open with the younger boy would help them move past all of that?

The hours ticked by and their search continued. This town's market area was much bigger than Sasori had anticipated and it seemed like there were more places to look every time they turned a corner. Though with each place they checked, it seemed clear to the Puppet Master that his missing scroll wasn't here. Though he was determined to keep looking until they checked every last place in this village. That included the homes of those who lived here. Once they were done with the peaceful part of their searching, the two of them were more than capable of taking this whole place out without breaking a sweat. There weren't exactly anyone out here that met Sasori's requirements for becoming a new addition to his collection, so Deidara was going to have a real 'blast' once they were done going through the homes.

"Danna! Over here!" Deidara's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Sasori had to look around for a moment before he actually spotted his partner in the semi-crowded streets. The bomber was standing in front of an older looking shop with an equally as old looking man. Sasori made his way over, a little confused as to why it was so important.

"What's wrong?"

Deidara looked excitedly to the old man in question. "Please repeat what you just told me, hm!"

"Of course. The scroll in question, the red one with that funny lookin' bug on it? I remember seein' it in my shop about five years ago. Remember how hard it was to try and get the damn thing open, never could open it though. Was sealed tight that one." He laughed a bit before continuing. "Now, I'm sorry to say I sold it not long after giving up on tryin' to open it, but I do remember a bit about the lad I sold it to!"

Sasori stood in stunned silence as the old man described a pretty generic sounding shinobi, but one detail stood out. The man in question was wearing a Hidden Cloud headband. The Hidden Cloud village. A new clue. A whole new  _ lead _ . It wasn't much to go off of, and it was five years ago, but it was something! It was more than he's gotten in the last fifteen years! "I don't mean to be rude but, you're absolutely certain that he was wearing a Hidden Cloud headband?"

The old man gave a small snort. "Course I'm sure! I may be old but my memory is still intact! I remember the boy sayin' something about gettin' someone who's more experienced with seals than he was to take a look at it. Never heard back from him so I couldn't tell ya if he ever got it to open or not."

That made Sasori's mind race with unease. Someone more experienced with seals, that wasn't a good sign. He could only hope that whoever was handed his scroll didn't actually manage to unseal it. The thought of Mayumi's body being toyed with by someone else made him feel sick, but this was a step in the right direction. They had a lead now, they had a new destination to get to. If they started right now they could maybe make it part of the way to Cloud village territory before the next Akatsuki meeting.

"Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate this information." Sasori gave the shop owner some money for compensation before motioning for Deidara to follow him. They needed to leave. Nothing else mattered in this town except for that single piece of information.

"Wow, I've never seen you in this much of a hurry, hm. Though, I can understand why." Deidara was almost jogging to keep up with his partner. He doubts Sasori realizes just how fast he's walking with how distracted he looks right now, but it's understandable. Who would have thought that a lead like that was going to pop up here of all places?

"I hope we don't get another mission next meeting." The Puppet Master mumbled out the words, not really speaking directly to his partner but still wanting to acknowledge that he was still listening. His mind was just racing with too many scenarios that he did  _ not _ want to happen. To his knowledge, the Hidden Cloud wasn't too familiar with his work so it was possible that even if they had gotten Mayumi's scroll open they would just think she was a simple puppet. But even still, he didn't want  _ anyone _ to open that scroll. Once it was open that was it. Mayumi was exposed to anyone else who could get their hands on her. It only took one person who knew his work to realise what they could do with her and he loathed that very idea.

"We're going towards the Hidden Cloud, aren't we, hm?" Deidara's voice rang through his thoughts, and Sasori gave him a stern nod.

"We'll go as far as we can before the next meeting, and pray we won't have to change our course any time soon."

_ I'm coming, Mayumi. I promise I'm coming as fast as I can. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If yall thought I had a cohesive plot planned out I'm sorry to inform you that no. I do not LMAO I can't plan a story for shit so from here on out where these two idiots end up is gonna be totally fucking random. It all depends on how nice I'm feeling towards Sasori ♡

They were so close. So close yet so far away. The Artist Duo made it into Cloud Village territory before having to stop and find a place to settle down so they can attend the next Akatsuki meeting. It was so grating, to be so close to a new lead yet not being able to go further until they attended to their work as Akatsuki. Sasori wished he didn't have to. Wished he could just skip the meeting without being questioned and keep following this lead, but he knew better. He knew he had to keep up his end of the deal with Konan, lest she or Pein start getting on his case about all his 'side missions'. Better safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with those two.

The pair made their way into a secluded area of the woods, making sure it was safe enough for them to be left defenseless for the time being. Once they were in the meeting it would be difficult for them to keep their senses sharp enough to know if there was danger approaching them. Difficult, but not impossible. Sasori looks to the sky, squinting slightly as the sun shone right above them. It was almost time.

"Let's get this over with." The Puppet Master was about to take a seat when his partner gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

"You sure you're not forgetting something there, Danna?"

Sasori stood up straight, looking at Deidara as if the younger boy had just spoken another language altogether. "What are you talking about? I'm not forgetting anything. The meeting is about to start and we're in a secluded enough area that we won't be bothered. What could I possibly be forgetting?"

The blonde gave his partner one last look, clearly suppressing a smile. "Danna, you're forgetting about Hiruko." Deidara watched as Sasori's face went from questioning his sanity to slightly flustered. His partner has been outside of that nasty old puppet for the better part of the past two weeks. It seemed as though the Puppet Master had temporarily forgotten that the others would have questioned him relentlessly had he shown up to the meeting looking the way he did now, and he wouldn't have blamed them. Sasori rarely ever showed his true face around any of them so Deidara counted himself extremely lucky these past few weeks. It was honestly nicer than constantly looking at Hiruko's angry mug all day.

Sasori, on the other hand, couldn't believe he almost went into a meeting in his true body. He's been way too out of it lately, but could anyone really blame him? Too much has happened in such a short amount of time, it's making his head spin. The Puppet Master quickly summoned up Hiruko and climbed inside, finding an odd sense of relief wash over him once he was surrounded by a familiar darkness. Closed spaces always did seem to calm him down, even when he was still human. "Now, let's hurry up and get this meeting over with." Hiruko's raspy voice spoke up, so dramatically different from Sasori's own voice.

Deidara just gave a nod and sat behind his partner, focusing his thoughts so he can project himself back to the Akatsuki's usual meeting place. Once both artists were present, the group only needed to wait a few more moments before Itachi's and Kisame's projections finally arrived. Seemed like no one was physically at the meeting place this time around.

"Good, we're all here." Pein's voice rang out, a bit of static distorting it slightly as always. "Now, let us begin." The meeting wasn't too long, the members merely sharing what little information they had, if they had any at all. Kakuzu talked about their finances while Hidan complained, not that that was anything new for the Zombie Duo. What Sasori really wanted out of this meeting was to know if he and Deidara had a mission or not. He needed to know if they were going to get side tracked or if they could keep going forward with his search.

It's been so long since the last time he's felt this close to finding Mayumi. Fifteen years of searching could all come to a close. He could finally bring her back, could finally keep his promise to her and show her a world outside of the Sand village's desert. She could finally experience the world like she was meant to without the fear of ending up in a hospital again. All he needed to hear was that there were no missions for him and Deidara. As if the universe decided to give him a miracle, Pein announced that there would be no missions until further notice. Something about important planning needing to be done before they could proceed with their main goal. Sasori didn't really care much, he had the answer he needed.

Once the meeting finished, Sasori was quick to recall Hiruko again and look over to Deidara expectantly. The blonde merely gave him a knowing smile as he reached into his clay bag, readying to make them a new ride.

"You know Danna, I think this is the most you've ever let me fly us around, hm." He quickly made the owl-like creature come to life, hopping up on its wing before turning back to his partner. "You finally getting used to being in the air, hm?" Deidara gave the red head a cocky smile, though it was quickly lost when Sasori nearly pushed him off his own creation with a huff.

"Don't push your luck, brat. I still hate flying but it's faster than walking and I'm more impatient than ever. Just get this thing in the air and try not to throw me off." He didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the need to get going was gnawing at his mind so fiercely it would have given him a headache if he were still human. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Deidara was too put off by his demands as he made the creature take off into the sky. Once more, Sasori had to kneel down and take hold of the creation as Deidara flew them ever closer to their destination.

They'd have to be extra careful this time around. This isn't going to be some remote town in the middle of nowhere, they're not going to be able to just walk in without causing some kind of stir. The pair needed to be tactical about this, and they needed to be smart. Sasori recalls what the old man had told them about the ninja he sold the scroll to: an average looking guy, curly brown hair, blue eyes, and a distinctive scar across his right cheek. That's the most important detail, yet even still it was possible that they wouldn't even run into the shinobi they were looking for. And even if he can't find the guy, all Sasori needs to know is where Mayumi's scroll went next or if she was still inside Cloud territory. It all seemed so simple, but the Puppet Master knew better by now. Nothing these past fifteen years has been simple, and he wasn't about to expect any different now.


End file.
